Under the Starlight
by shadowed memory
Summary: Elenet has always loved Vidanric, but he never returned her passion. Now he and Mel are engaged, and she must ponder under the starlight....


A/N: Like most of us here, I'm a big sucker for Vidanric/Mel. But there are already so many stories about them after CD and how they break the news to everyone. Maybe I'll write one of those sometime - maybe. But first I need to show Elenet's view. Pretty depressing, you know, love lost and all. Sorry!  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
Under the Starlight  
  
It was nighttime in the palace Athanarel. The court was asleep, except for the servants who tiptoed around in a practiced quiet, cleaning up and readying the palace for the dawn. At any rate, all of the nobles were abed. All of the nobles except Lady Elenet Kheraev of Grumareth.  
  
Earlier that evening, the future king of Remalna, Marquis Vidanric of Shevraeth, announced his engagement to Countess Meliara Astiar of Tlanth. The court had been expecting it for a while, ever since the pair had saved the kingdom from the threat of the Merindar family. But everyone had still been delighted for the beloved pair. No one had noticed Elenet sneak out.  
  
She had been roaming around the palace grounds since then. Elenet was quiet in both words and feelings. Although she had very good friends in the palace, there was no one to confide in.  
  
I loved him, she thought, biting back tears. He never knew. I couldn't tell him. I know he thought - thinks - of me as a sister. She felt a passion rise within her that had never been there before in the subdued woman. I should have told him, she fought herself. I should have at least been honest with him about that. He has helped me so much and this is how I repay him?  
  
But she knew that it was impossible to tell him. Vidanric trusted her and she him, but the connection was not romantic at all. He had long ago told her about his love for Mel, even asked her advice on how to woo her. She had tried to help, but Elenet didn't have much experience. She didn't have any success with making him love her.  
  
Elenet could never make people do things. It just wasn't in her. She hadn't let people walk all over her, but she was not commanding like that. She would gently request and usually people could not find it in their heart to say no to this softly spoken lady.  
  
Her thoughts racing and heart beating in slow sadness, Elenet arrived at a fountain. Even under the starlit sky, the water sprouted like a leaf and fell like a shooting star into the pool. Then Elenet saw someone else standing on the other side of the beautiful creation. Elenet sucked in her breath. It was Meliara.  
  
Elenet tried to turn around and walk away before Mel noticed her, but then Mel called out, "Elenet. Can I please talk to you?"  
  
Elenet turned around and padded softly around the fountain. Try as she did, she could not hate Meliara. It wasn't her fault that Vidanric loved her and that she loved him back. She didn't even know that Elenet loved him. No one knew. They had been matched together because of her closeness, but no one knew of the fiery longing that burned inside Elenet. They had thought of her as a good queen, but they knew Mel would do well too, and thought her as Vidanric's love once she had overcome her resentment for him. And she was.  
  
Elenet now smiled at the future queen, but Mel did not smile back, despite the happiness of her own evening. It seemed to Elenet that there was sadness in her face, sadness and regret and guilt. But it was dark; Elenet wasn't sure.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Mel abruptly, but softly.  
  
Elenet almost shrank back, then caught herself. Did she really just say that? "Come again?"  
  
"I'm sorry," Mel repeated.  
  
"Why?" Does she know?  
  
"Because you - " she faltered " - Vidanric - well, I just.."  
  
"You know?" Elenet burst out. Oh my, I didn't mean to say that, she thought regretfully.  
  
"Yes," Mel whispered. Elenet was confused. Mel was nice, but this tenderness was unlike her. "I saw you looking at him one day and I knew." She took a breath and then let it out slowly. "I even asked him about it, once, but he seemed confused. Don't worry," she said, seeing the stricken look on Elenet's face. "I didn't tell him. I just said that people had matched you two up. But."  
  
"I know. He doesn't love me; not like that," Elenet replied quietly.  
  
Elenet was astonished to see a tear gleaming in Meliara's eye. "I know you hate me. And we haven't really been close friends or anything. I really don't know what I came hear to say to you. I just - " She broke off.  
  
"I don't hate you," said Elenet, feeling at peace suddenly. "And it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. We wouldn't go together. You and Vidanric do." Then she frowned suddenly. "But why did you come to say this to me?"  
  
"I don't know how it feels to be in your place," Mel replied. "If I did, maybe I wouldn't have come. But since I don't know, I feel that it must be even worse. And I had to say something to you. I'm not that selfish."  
  
Elenet suddenly smiled. "Thank you, Mel."  
  
Mel sighed, and then smiled softly back. "Thank you."  
  
"Why don't you go back and enjoy your night now? You just got engaged!" Elenet said, trying to sound bright.  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Elenet turned away. "I can stay here and enjoy the starlight."  
  
"'Bye," said Mel softly, and Elenet heard her walking away. She gazed up at the stars above and suddenly wailed. With that a river of tears suddenly flowed out, and with it, all her feelings. She cried and cried until the sky lightened and the flowers leaned towards the rising sun.  
  
He would never know, and she would never get him.  
  
But then the sun floated into the sky, smiling down on the palace. And the water in the fountain sparkled like crystalline liquid gems, filling the air with beauty and peace.  
  
Perhaps he will never love me, Elenet thought, the tears slowly drying away from her cheeks. But there is always hope that I will find someone else. There is always hope.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
A/N: Okay. This didn't really come out the way I wanted it to. Sadly enough, I wanted it to be more depressing. It ended up kinda' sappy too. But that's okay, I'll get over it. Hope ya' like it! 


End file.
